IPv6rs

How to install Redbird on Arch Linux

In this tutorial, we will guide you through the process of installing Redbird, a popular reverse proxy server, on Arch Linux.

Prerequisites

Before you start installing Redbird, ensure that you have the following prerequisites:

• Arch Linux installed and updated
• Node.js installed and updated
• NPM (Node Package Manager) installed

Step 1: Clone Redbird from Github

Open your terminal and navigate to the directory where you want to install Redbird. Then, clone the Redbird repository from Github:

$ git clone https://github.com/OptimalBits/redbird.git

Step 2: Install dependencies

Switch to the cloned Redbird directory and install the project's dependencies using NPM:

$ cd redbird/
$ npm install

Step 3: Test Redbird

Now we will run the test to confirm everything is functioning as expected:

$ npm test

If the tests complete successfully, you should see the following output:

  redbird router
UseCase ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    ✓ should route between servers
    ✓ should route to different prefixes
    ✓ should route to specified subdomain
    ✓ should handle multiple subdomains with shared backend server
  4 passing (421ms)

Step 4: Install Redbird globally

To make Redbird available system-wide, install it globally:

$ sudo npm install -g redbird

Step 5: Configure Redbird

After installation, you need to create a configuration file for Redbird. Create a file named redbird.json in the directory where you want to run Redbird and add the following contents:

{
  "port": 8080,
  "ssl": {
    "port": 8443,
    "key": "./ssl/key.pem",
    "cert": "./ssl/cert.pem"
  },
  "plugins": [
    "redbird-logger"
  ]
}

This configuration file enables Redbird to listen on port 8080 and serves HTTPS requests over port 8443. You must also provide the SSL key and certificate paths.

Step 6: Run Redbird

To start Redbird, execute the following command in the directory where you created the configuration file:

$ redbird -c redbird.json

Step 7: Test Redbird

Finally, open a browser and navigate to https://localhost:8443 to test if Redbird is running correctly. If everything is set up correctly, you should see a "Welcome to Redbird!" page.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed and configured Redbird on Arch Linux. You can now utilize Redbird's reverse proxy capabilities for routing incoming traffic to different web servers.

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